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Old 05-17-2011, 12:55 AM   #5 (permalink)
bananimal
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Default Re: Help - The caterpillars are eating my Ae Ae bananas

Looks like Opogona Sacchari. Here is some info from a search "banana plant caterpillars". Mentions use of pheromone traps.



Opogona sacchari is a (sub)tropical moth that enters into countries with imported plant material and that causes damage in the covered culture of a large number of ornamental crops. Host plants of the banana borer are: Aechmea, Alpinia, Araucaria, bamboo, banana, Beaucarnea, Begonia, Bougainvillea, Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, Capsicum, Chamaedorea, Cordyline, Dieffenbachia, Dracaena, Euphorbia pulcherrima, Ficus, Gloxinia, Heliconia, Hippeastrum, maize, Maranta, Pachira, Philodendron, pineapple, Saintpaulia, Sanseveria, Strelitzia, sugar cane and Yucca.
Opogona sacchari; caterpillar of the banana borer. Source: Plant Protection Service, Wageningen

Opogona sacchari has a quarantine status in the European Union. This means that the organism may not be imported or spread and that caterpillar and moth must be controlled when these are found. The presence of Opogona sacchari in ornamental crops or fruits may pose a serious threat to export. It is therefore very important that countries can guarantee that plant material grown and traded is free from Opogona sacchari.

The moth originates from the humid tropical and subtropical areas in Africa. Outside these areas Opogona sacchari can only survive in greenhouses. The banana borer is found on various African islands, in West Africa (Nigeria), on the Canary Islands and Madeira, in Central and South America, and in Europe and Florida.
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